Chapter 154: The lethal plan
Lydia immediately realized she was losing her cool. She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply to steady herself. "But I am not like him – a murderer." When she spoke again, her tone was cold but measured. "I don’t want to kill Thomas. All I want is to sever ties with the Williams family. But Dylan refuses to leave Ava, and that leaves me no choice."
"But hurting Mr. Williams is not an option," Ethan retorted. "I can’t do this. He helped me a lot. I can’t hurt him." He stretched the vial toward her.
Lydia didn’t move to take the vial. She looked away from him, her face turning stern even more. "Don’t be so impulsive," she said, her voice colder now, as though trying to freeze his resolve. "I’m not asking you to kill him. Just... make him weak, sick, and helpless."
"I’m not a part of your revenge game," Ethan shot back. He shoved the vial into her hand and reached for the door handle, ready to leave.
"If Thomas falls sick, you can take control of the business," she said quickly.
He froze, his hand lingering on the door handle.
"With her father sick, Ava will be lost," Lydia pressed. "She’ll be vulnerable and alone. She’ll seek comfort—someone to rely on. And that someone will be you, Ethan. You’ll be the only one she can turn to."
Ethan turned his head slightly, his expression unreadable.
Lydia seized the moment and said, "You say you love her. This is your chance to be the man she needs." She was hopeful that her words would convince him to stay. She needed someone close to Thomas to execute her plans.